[ti]normal[/ti]Gameplay - a few useful tips
Nov 15, 2016 16:25:17 GMT -5
Bionix, MineKolya, and 8 more like this
Post by Ezel on Nov 15, 2016 16:25:17 GMT -5
WARNING: This is my personal opinion! Please don't hate me if you don't agree with some of my tips. However, any constructive criticism is appreciated and I'd be glad for any feedback. Thank you!
I've seen a lot of levels that had great potential to turn into amazing levels, but they were (kinda) ruined by frustrating or buggy gameplay. In this tutorial I'll give you some tips about decent gameplay. I know I'm not the best creator, but I experienced things that make gameplay good or bad, at least in a significant amount. Anyway, here I'll show you some tips about gameplay (I won't post much about design, because it's more of a personal opinion):
I. Be sure your transitions are fair!
Transitions may give you another form or they teleport you to a different location, but we should be sure that they're fair enough to stay in the "fun" category. Most people find them annoying when they don't give you enough reaction time, especially in levels that are considered "easy". Demons are a different thing, but they still should be fair, even if they're harder than usually.
a) Portals
Portals are a major and trivial part of the gameplay. They can make it more fun and unique, allowing to create various interesting gimmicks. However, spamming them or putting them in unexpected places might be frustrating or even unfair for players. If you think your portals should be invisible, an indicator (text, color of the portal, etc.) is a good idea, because players would be aware of incoming dangers. They can be also transparent, if they look decent in your level. It's still visible, so it's not unexpected. The same happens with moving portals. It's not that bad if you get an "!" mark or something that tells you to watch out. It's also decent if there's a single or just a very small amount of these portals, but it's still better to give the player any hint to react correctly, even if it's a demon level.
Speed portals are another thing. They add extra difficulty when used properly, but be sure to not abuse them. Constant speed changes are good and can add great challenge, but try to make them expected or not too hard (the latter doesn't apply with hard demon levels). Remember that stuff like several gravity changes are harder to handle in fast-paced levels, especially in mounts like the UFO mode.
Mirror portals allow players to move left instead of right, but they were a common trap in very old levels. Now it's much more rare, but still remember that most people don't find it fun when the level gets mirrored right before some hard or fast-paced jumps. Give the player some reaction time.
b) Teleportation
Teleportation portals are new objects added in Update 2.0. They allow you to teleport into a different location as long as they are in the same X axis. They can make the gameplay more varied, serving as an aid or trap. They're also a common use for transitions into other segments. It's fine, but I've noticed that a lot of creators use them in a wrong (IMO) way. Usually they're put right before the drop, teleporting the player into a more fast-paced part of the level. I find it fine as long as everyone has enough time to notice what's going on. You don't have to put 5 seconds of nothing to give the player enough time, but even barely a second is enough for the player to act in a right way without crashing several times before getting used to the transition. It often saves up some attempts.
II. Test your level more than once!
Levels tend to have bugs. I think everyone experienced them, in their own or someone's levels. Before verifying, test all your segments before verifying and uploading the level. The start pos is very useful for these things! It allows you to check for collision errors, issues with jump rings/pads which are very important, because using them in a wrong way can even make the level impossible! Jump rings bounce differently depending on the moment when you jump on it, so be aware of this.
Triggers are another thing that should be tested before uploading a level. Color triggers are simple, but things like Pulse, Move or Toggle might not work like intended, if not at all. Check the way of triggering them (if they're spawn triggered, use a Spawn Trigger to activate them, but these triggers have to be added to a group). The same happens to transitions and teleportation, as said in the first tip.
This is mostly related to design, but check if some object or decoration are coloured properly or don't cut abruptly. It may look ugly.
Before we end this point, I have a very important tip for you: try to imagine yourself playing as a random person who didn't create your level. As a creator, beating your own level is often much easier, because you know the design, because you built it, and you're aware of any traps and tricks in it. A random player won't know about certain things until they realize them, so try to think about it. With the knowledge it will be easier to build something that won't be too confusing or unexpected for a player. Of course, memorization and skill is fine, as long as it does match your difficulty, so please avoid turning a 3* stars level into a "Fake A Doom" remake.
Oh, and watch out for secret ways! If someone finds one, you'll level will probably land as a "free stars" map on YouTube if it gets rated. Add spikes, sawblades or other obstacles which will block unintentional paths that would break the games. Be sure that the player won't use a game error (such as the gravity orb bug) to pass your level. Even if your level will have stars, there will be a risk you'll lose the stars when RobTop notices it, especially when it's a demon level. Check also if you can't break any transitions, by avoiding portals in some way.
III. Consistent difficulty
Currently we have seven difficulty types (from easiest to hardest): Auto, Easy, Normal, Hard, Harder, Insane and Demon. The way you build it is up to you, but try to stick to the difficulty you're building it. Easy and Normal rated levels are mostly built for beginners (or for star farmers), so they won't be satisfied of a demon level that's improperly rated. Yeah, this part is already dependent on RobTop, so I can't blame you if he'd do a mistake when rating someone's creation. When you're suggesting a level, try to set the correct rating. Often it's advised to give like one star more, because the creator already knows the gameplay and most of the time he/she will find it easier.
Another thing is consistency. If you're making a Harder rated level, stick with the difficulty. Don't go too much overboard the rating you want to achieve. The level should stick to a similar difficulty curve, but it'd be nice to have small difficulty changes at parts. In most levels, the beginning is usually the easiest part, while the middle is often the toughest one (the end is often a middle-point). Of course it doesn't have to stick that way, you can change it a bit, but try to put traps that fit your current difficulty. If you're creating a Hard rated levels, don't make too hard segments. When the level is fairly easy, putting a random part with a fast and difficult mini-wave is out of place. The same works in the opposite direction: if you're going for a very hard level, avoid making too much easy segments, because they won't fit the difficulty. Like one difficulty spike isn't that bad when the player is able to control it, but more may make the difficulty very inconsistent, which might result in people giving up before they get to the goal.
You may not agree with me, but IMO the best difficulty for an ending is when it slowly goes down from the middle, getting slowly simplier and simplier, or just stopping at a certain spot. In demons people usually are under pressure and very tough endings usually end with a lot of fails close to the finish line, which demotivates some players. If it goes down a bit, it'll save up some miserable crashes, but players still may do mistakes, because stress can cause overreaction. This is IMO a good thing to do in insane/demon levels. In lower difficulties it's okay to make stuff a bit more complicated, because the level overall isn't a huge challenge, so adding something is fine. An example is Cycles by RobTop: it starts out simple, then in the middle it introduces the ball gamemode which becomes a bit harder closer to the end. Deadlocked is a good example of quite inconsistent difficulty, because some of the segments have very simple jumps, while some such as the waves, require spamming and mashing, which may be difficult for less experienced players (however without them this level probably won't be demon, let's be honest).
IV. Event and Triggers
Triggers cause certain events to happen. They allow creators to make a lot of creative ideas. Using them might make a level really fun and interesting, but watch out to not ruin the gameplay with them. They're either Touch Triggered (activated by touching it with the icon), Spawn Triggered (activated by a Spawn Trigger) or a regular trigger (activates when it appears on the screen).
a) Move Triggers
This is a very popular trigger in 2.0 levels. They are a major change in current levels, giving thousands of possibilities! They can be used for traps or as some kind of decoration. The choices are infinite! Just be sure that they work properly, or either they will be useless. Traps are okay, but don't abuse them and an "!" mark or something else would be appreciated by a lot of players (you don't have to do them though, hee hee). Also be sure to not make the level completely out of moving blocks, because this usually adds extra memorization which is the weakness of many players. Also watch out to avoid mixing confusing effects with Move Triggers, or else the player will waste a lot of time trying to find a way to beat the level. "Edification" is an example of a level that mixes Move Triggers with a special effect. It looks awesome, doesn't it? Yeah, but gameplay-wise it adds a bit to memorization. For some people it's okay, but some may find this level confusing.
b) Alpha Triggers
Alpha Triggers make objects transparent or even invisible. They are often used for decorational purposes, such as sticking to a current theme or making certain objects invisible/visible at a certain point. Invisible portals are also a common use, but I already said higher what to avoid when putting them. This trigger is useful for decorational purposes, or maybe certain gimmicks, so with a neat use they might reveal some parts of a maze or a "choose way" segment.
Everything is fine, as long as the player has a way to realize how everything works. Also, please, don't use them to make everything invisible. This isn't fun at all, and probably nobody would play it, until you're hardcore like a Krazyman. x)
c) Toggle Triggers, aka. Low Detail Mode
I guess you know the infamous Low Detail Mode in current levels? Yes, and that's usually caused by a Toggle Trigger which disables objects that were added to the specific group. Removing some decoration is usually very helpful for people that have weaker devices and are vulnerable to slowdown and FPS drops. They aren't needed in simple levels, because most devices will run them smoothly, but always put it when it's a very detailed or effect level. If not used, several players may have problems with playing them, because the amount of lag would be a big problem for them. Remember that a lot of players are playing this game on smartphones and they're usually weaker than average PC's, so they won't handle as much detail as a computer. Also be sure it really removes a significant amount of objects, because removing like 100 blocks won't help much, but getting rid of 1000... might actually help some people.
What when still a lot of people say "lag" even if you put a good LDM? The answer is simple: add a Super LDM!
d) Rotate Triggers
The rotate trigger is a new trigger added in Update 2.1. It either allows to rotate them around a certain angle or spin them several times at once in a whole circle. It allows to create rotating obstacles such as "firebars" which you can see in Fingerdash or special interactions with the player. They also can be mixed with move triggers if used properly to add extra variety to the level.
When using the trigger, be sure that you have two groups reserved for your rotated object. The first one is the center block and the rest are the objects that will rotate. They have to be blocks that can be rotated at every angle in the editor, otherwise they won't work properly. Also be sure the triggers don't overlap to avoid glitches.
Back before 2.1, you had to use move triggers with the "Sine In" option to create rotating objects, however it used to waste a lot of objects to make proper spinning blocks. If you have an old level, be sure to replace them with the new triggers - it will save a lot of space!
V. Music sync is important!
When creating a level, use a soundtrack that will fit to your current level, not a random one that you use, because "it's your favourite". A level sounds weird when the music totally doesn't fit the stage's theme. If you're going for a hell theme, an intense or epic song may fit well with it. If it's a slow one, a calm theme will do its work. It's also good to sync your music to your actions and even clicks if it's possible! The latter one isn't completely needed, but it may help a lot. This way, listening to the soundtrack will guide the player through his adventure.
A good way to end the level is when the music fades out at a certain point, or it gets calmer. The "Fade In" and "Fade Out" options may be useful, but use them properly. It might sound odd when the song cuts when it's fast-paced. It's better to wait for it to slow down. If it's too long, try to start from a different offset to match your length of a level, but these things should be made before you start building your level, or else you'll end up screwing up the whole sync.
Certain objects, such as the notes/heart/star/etc. decorations and orbs pulse to the beat. They can be used to create a "beating" feeling. These objects will pulse slowly or really hard depending on the fact if the song is either chill or really heavy or fast-paced.
VI. Time your jumps!
The cube and some other gamemodes jump at certain heights and you have to build the level correctly to avoid falling down or hitting something due to badly designed jumps. Here's how a cube can jump:
UFO's jump similarly to cubes with the exception that you can do them in mid-air. The player can either spam-click or tap slowly to go further. The way how it will go depends on how fast you click, so you need to time your jumps. The creator needs to be aware of that, because a badly created UFO segment might be frustrating, because this gamemode is pretty sensitive.
The robot gamemode jumps one block higher than a regular cube, and it falls down a bit slower, so you can challenge the player to leap through greater jumps. However, try to avoid using it in places which can be passed with a regular cube, because the robot needs a bit more timing due to more controlled jumps and slower vertical speed.
VII. Watch out for blind drops!
By blind drops I mean when the icon falls down into a deep hole where you can't predict what's going on. Sometimes there are jump rings or other obstacles that the player has to tap quickly to avoid brutal death. It's not that hard to remember the timing when there are simple orbs, but what when there's a cluster of them and some of them are fake? Yeah, this jump may be a pain. It'd be easier to time them from smaller drops, but when you're jumping into a so called "leap of faith" and you're required to tap a SINGLE orb through several troll rings, I guess most people won't be satisfied with this. That's why you should plan when doing jumps like this. If you really want to do it, at least try to put an "!" mark, but it's up to you.
Another example of an annoying jump is when you fall frop a giant drop next to a double or triple spike which can't be avoided that easily, because already pushing the button will cause the cube to jump into the group of spikes, while waiting a bit will result in a crash. This timing is usually considered bad for players (or at least I think so, but I guess I'm not the only one). It may be really unfair and people will waste a lot of attempts for finding the correct timing.
VIII. Create fair memorization!
Memorization can make a level more difficult, but it can be also a big problem for most of the players. They shouldn't be too confusing and the player should have a way to learn it (either a hint or something else to learn how stuff work). If the memo is simple, the player usually won't need help, but if it's really complex, some arrows or at least a single tip would save their lives. Poorly created memorization parts can easily turn a level from fun to totally annoying. Take some time when making it and imagine how players would beat it. You're the creator, so you know the patterns, but anyone else won't.
Memorization can be made in various ways. They can be fakes (troll rings, non-solid ground, etc.), invisible objects, various paths or triggers that cause a special even to happen when you activate it. Easy levels should have fairly simple and obvious sections, while they can be complicated in tough levels, but they shouldn't be too confusing. Don't make them too ridiculous, like finding an invisible portal out of nowhere to pass the puzzle.
This is also an aspect with which you can get really creative. Take a look at Serponge's levels: he created some levels that require some memorization, but they're used in a completely different way. Most of them are simple, but some of them are harder, still they may be fun to play, because it's actually an interesting way to explore the level. Everything is good, but don't go overboard and stick to the difficulty!
IX. Use variety!
This was a big problem in the very first versions, but currently you have a lot of options to create gameplay. You have several gamemodes, some manipulation portals, triggers, a big variety of blocks, thousands of colors and much more! Be creative as you can!
One gamemode in a level may be boring, because jumping all the time or changing the gravity may look very repetitive. Try to avoid such stuff, but it doesn't mean that you can't do creative stuff with a single gamemode. I remember that I've played a level which used the ball gamemode in an unusual way. There were gravity changes, jumps like a cube and some other stuff. And it wasn't that bad, even if it used only one form. Variety makes your level more interesting! Forms, gravity, speed changes. Be creative as possible!
Remember that it shouldn't bee overly varied, because the level might sometimes be confusing or weird to play. If something doesn't fit your level, don't use it. Don't put an abundance of portals, especially too much at once, because the player might not know what to do, or the fast transitions would confuse him, resulting in death due to overreaction. Several portals in a short amount of time are fine, just don't spam them everywhere.
Also try to mess with certain gamemodes and how they interact with certain objects. The swingcopter was discovered by messing with double balls and gravity changes. Who knows, maybe you'll find a new kind of gamemode? Don't stick with one thing, try to put some more if you think one thing isn't enough.
X. Watch out with orb jumps!
Orbs (or so called jump rings) are objects that are very common in the game and they allow the icon to jump in mid-air. Currently there are six types of jump rings (not counting the custom one): yellow, pink, cyan, green, red and black. Every has their own mechanic and allows to create various type of gameplay. However the way how they will work depends on the timing of the player. Be sure the timing is fair and it isn't too annoying or buggy, otherwise players might have trouble with completing your level. The earlier you hit it, the "higher" it bounces, while the later you do it, the "weaker" the jump is for yellow, pink, green and red orbs. Here are some examples for cube gameplay:
Remember that every form has different physics and orbs may work a little different for other gamemodes. A ball or spider will most likely get bounced a little lower than a cube, so take care of it when building a level. Watch out when using them for other gamemodes, because they can either pose a challenge or be a big annoyance for the player. A good example is a jump ring during the ship form: it can be a good challenge, however due to the flying ability it's a bit harder to time it properly and when used poorly, it can frustrate a lot of player. Not to mention you have to tap it lightly, or otherwise the ship will get launched high into the air. Be careful when using them with different forms and test them a lot before you release your level!
Oh, and remember: small versions of the forms will bounce lower than the normal ones.
XI. Coin placement
Coins have been since Update 1.6, however they were only available in the official levels. Update 2.0 brought to us User Coins which can be either verified (silver) on not (brown). It's up to RobTop if he does that.
Coins usually are a reward for the player, usually for taking a secret path. They can be either well hidden or not(Viprin intensified). They can form an extra challenge, but they can't be too annoying to get. They also can't be lazily placed which would give the player a very easy reward for barely doing anything. The latter one is a common problem in easy to hard levels. They often have at least one extremely easy or free coin which can be found without any effort. While it allows for fast stats increasing, it doesn't feel very rewarding.
Also remember to not make them too annoying to get. If a coin requires a very precise jump or a path that's very hard to pass, it may be too much of a hassle for an average player and they might think it's not worth collecting it. Also don't make it too confusing to get them, especially by placing an invisible coin in a random place that nobody can expect to have a hidden coin in it. It would just make pure trial and error.
A good coin for most players is when it gives the player an alternate, but slightly harder path to take which may be more risky, but it gives him/her an extra reward for passing it. It also can be a secret by placing a hidden portal or wall that turns transparent after you find the fake blocks. It allows the player to have clever hidings, but if the secret doesn't look obvious enough, consider adding a small hint to help the player.
For the end, I suggest to take a look at the difficulty of the level. If it's an easy level, make the coins not too hard, but not free, so even a beginner would have to challenge him/herself a little bit. If it's a demon level, they can be hard to get, but don't get overboard or otherwise most people won't try to get them. IMO free coins are only a good option if the level is a demon level, especially a really difficult one. It would be a free reward for someone that was persistent enough to complete a hard demon level.
XII. Tricks and traps
Traps are a part of the gameplay which often appears in difficult (much less common in easy levels) courses. They can be used to trick a player who was unaware and wasn't focusing on the game. While it's okay to put it, never EVER abuse them. When there are too much of them, it will make the level a bad and frustrating memory demon which most players will just avoid. There are better ways to create memory parts.
To make a good trap, keep in mind that the player is unaware of them on his/her first run. Be sure to give him/her a small hint to the correct way, but you don't have to make it totally obvious. For a "choose your path" trick, you can add arrows or fake walls (blocks without outlines) which would lead the player to the correct path. For jump orb/pad traps, you can either point an arrow on the correct one or add an "X" on the orb or close to it to inditcate it's a trap. If they're in smaller amounts, these hints aren't that needed, because it's more obvious which one is correct, but if there's a large amount of them, a mark would help a lot to prevent useless confusion.
Another common trap is a spike jump at the very end of the level. Even though it may be funny for the creator, it can be VERY infuriating for a player if the creator went overboard, especially in a really hard level (but if it's a difficult demon level, a simple triple spike jump is enough). If it's an easy or non-demon level, a little spike, a single or double spike might be okay, because it's easy to avoid. A triple is okay, but it's not a good idea for really easy level unless it's a secret path which grants you an User Coin. An example of a decent drap is Lonely Travel: if you are about to finish the level, you have to jump over a tiny spike at the very end of the level or otherwise you'll crash at 99%. This obstacle is extremely easy to avoid, but it may troll a player which stopped focusing on the game or he/she started celebrating too early. So yeah kids, never celebrate too early!
XIII. An introduction is always helpful!
If you have created a new mechanic that isn't common in the game or doesn't look very obvious, a hint or a small tutorial is always helpful to avoid any unecessary confusion. For example: Serponge usually introduces the player to the mechanics of his Altergame levels. With this you don't have to guess what to do when it's a brand new game. It's not always needed when it's a really simple mechanic, but a hint is always helpful for the player, so if you feel that people might not understand it, a small information in the level will always help them.
If it's a gamemode from the original game, you don't need to introduce it, because that's the point of the official levels - they already introduced us all to the portals and gamemodes. If it's a swingcopter, you can add a hint, but it's not as needed as with brand new mechanics, because the swingcopter trick is already a pretty popular part of the gameplay. If it's an official gamemode, it doesn't require a tutorial unless it's used in an unique way which hasn't been seen in many levels.
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I might add some more in the future. What do you think about this so far? Is it good and at least a bit helpful? I'll try to add some screenshots someday when I'll have some free time.
I hope it helps at least a bit. Any opinions are appreciated.
If there are any mistakes in your opinions, we'll discuss about it and I might fix anything that's wrong.
I've seen a lot of levels that had great potential to turn into amazing levels, but they were (kinda) ruined by frustrating or buggy gameplay. In this tutorial I'll give you some tips about decent gameplay. I know I'm not the best creator, but I experienced things that make gameplay good or bad, at least in a significant amount. Anyway, here I'll show you some tips about gameplay (I won't post much about design, because it's more of a personal opinion):
I. Be sure your transitions are fair!
Transitions may give you another form or they teleport you to a different location, but we should be sure that they're fair enough to stay in the "fun" category. Most people find them annoying when they don't give you enough reaction time, especially in levels that are considered "easy". Demons are a different thing, but they still should be fair, even if they're harder than usually.
a) Portals
Portals are a major and trivial part of the gameplay. They can make it more fun and unique, allowing to create various interesting gimmicks. However, spamming them or putting them in unexpected places might be frustrating or even unfair for players. If you think your portals should be invisible, an indicator (text, color of the portal, etc.) is a good idea, because players would be aware of incoming dangers. They can be also transparent, if they look decent in your level. It's still visible, so it's not unexpected. The same happens with moving portals. It's not that bad if you get an "!" mark or something that tells you to watch out. It's also decent if there's a single or just a very small amount of these portals, but it's still better to give the player any hint to react correctly, even if it's a demon level.
Speed portals are another thing. They add extra difficulty when used properly, but be sure to not abuse them. Constant speed changes are good and can add great challenge, but try to make them expected or not too hard (the latter doesn't apply with hard demon levels). Remember that stuff like several gravity changes are harder to handle in fast-paced levels, especially in mounts like the UFO mode.
Mirror portals allow players to move left instead of right, but they were a common trap in very old levels. Now it's much more rare, but still remember that most people don't find it fun when the level gets mirrored right before some hard or fast-paced jumps. Give the player some reaction time.
b) Teleportation
Teleportation portals are new objects added in Update 2.0. They allow you to teleport into a different location as long as they are in the same X axis. They can make the gameplay more varied, serving as an aid or trap. They're also a common use for transitions into other segments. It's fine, but I've noticed that a lot of creators use them in a wrong (IMO) way. Usually they're put right before the drop, teleporting the player into a more fast-paced part of the level. I find it fine as long as everyone has enough time to notice what's going on. You don't have to put 5 seconds of nothing to give the player enough time, but even barely a second is enough for the player to act in a right way without crashing several times before getting used to the transition. It often saves up some attempts.
II. Test your level more than once!
Levels tend to have bugs. I think everyone experienced them, in their own or someone's levels. Before verifying, test all your segments before verifying and uploading the level. The start pos is very useful for these things! It allows you to check for collision errors, issues with jump rings/pads which are very important, because using them in a wrong way can even make the level impossible! Jump rings bounce differently depending on the moment when you jump on it, so be aware of this.
Triggers are another thing that should be tested before uploading a level. Color triggers are simple, but things like Pulse, Move or Toggle might not work like intended, if not at all. Check the way of triggering them (if they're spawn triggered, use a Spawn Trigger to activate them, but these triggers have to be added to a group). The same happens to transitions and teleportation, as said in the first tip.
This is mostly related to design, but check if some object or decoration are coloured properly or don't cut abruptly. It may look ugly.
Before we end this point, I have a very important tip for you: try to imagine yourself playing as a random person who didn't create your level. As a creator, beating your own level is often much easier, because you know the design, because you built it, and you're aware of any traps and tricks in it. A random player won't know about certain things until they realize them, so try to think about it. With the knowledge it will be easier to build something that won't be too confusing or unexpected for a player. Of course, memorization and skill is fine, as long as it does match your difficulty, so please avoid turning a 3* stars level into a "Fake A Doom" remake.
Oh, and watch out for secret ways! If someone finds one, you'll level will probably land as a "free stars" map on YouTube if it gets rated. Add spikes, sawblades or other obstacles which will block unintentional paths that would break the games. Be sure that the player won't use a game error (such as the gravity orb bug) to pass your level. Even if your level will have stars, there will be a risk you'll lose the stars when RobTop notices it, especially when it's a demon level. Check also if you can't break any transitions, by avoiding portals in some way.
III. Consistent difficulty
Currently we have seven difficulty types (from easiest to hardest): Auto, Easy, Normal, Hard, Harder, Insane and Demon. The way you build it is up to you, but try to stick to the difficulty you're building it. Easy and Normal rated levels are mostly built for beginners (or for star farmers), so they won't be satisfied of a demon level that's improperly rated. Yeah, this part is already dependent on RobTop, so I can't blame you if he'd do a mistake when rating someone's creation. When you're suggesting a level, try to set the correct rating. Often it's advised to give like one star more, because the creator already knows the gameplay and most of the time he/she will find it easier.
Another thing is consistency. If you're making a Harder rated level, stick with the difficulty. Don't go too much overboard the rating you want to achieve. The level should stick to a similar difficulty curve, but it'd be nice to have small difficulty changes at parts. In most levels, the beginning is usually the easiest part, while the middle is often the toughest one (the end is often a middle-point). Of course it doesn't have to stick that way, you can change it a bit, but try to put traps that fit your current difficulty. If you're creating a Hard rated levels, don't make too hard segments. When the level is fairly easy, putting a random part with a fast and difficult mini-wave is out of place. The same works in the opposite direction: if you're going for a very hard level, avoid making too much easy segments, because they won't fit the difficulty. Like one difficulty spike isn't that bad when the player is able to control it, but more may make the difficulty very inconsistent, which might result in people giving up before they get to the goal.
You may not agree with me, but IMO the best difficulty for an ending is when it slowly goes down from the middle, getting slowly simplier and simplier, or just stopping at a certain spot. In demons people usually are under pressure and very tough endings usually end with a lot of fails close to the finish line, which demotivates some players. If it goes down a bit, it'll save up some miserable crashes, but players still may do mistakes, because stress can cause overreaction. This is IMO a good thing to do in insane/demon levels. In lower difficulties it's okay to make stuff a bit more complicated, because the level overall isn't a huge challenge, so adding something is fine. An example is Cycles by RobTop: it starts out simple, then in the middle it introduces the ball gamemode which becomes a bit harder closer to the end. Deadlocked is a good example of quite inconsistent difficulty, because some of the segments have very simple jumps, while some such as the waves, require spamming and mashing, which may be difficult for less experienced players (however without them this level probably won't be demon, let's be honest).
IV. Event and Triggers
Triggers cause certain events to happen. They allow creators to make a lot of creative ideas. Using them might make a level really fun and interesting, but watch out to not ruin the gameplay with them. They're either Touch Triggered (activated by touching it with the icon), Spawn Triggered (activated by a Spawn Trigger) or a regular trigger (activates when it appears on the screen).
a) Move Triggers
This is a very popular trigger in 2.0 levels. They are a major change in current levels, giving thousands of possibilities! They can be used for traps or as some kind of decoration. The choices are infinite! Just be sure that they work properly, or either they will be useless. Traps are okay, but don't abuse them and an "!" mark or something else would be appreciated by a lot of players (you don't have to do them though, hee hee). Also be sure to not make the level completely out of moving blocks, because this usually adds extra memorization which is the weakness of many players. Also watch out to avoid mixing confusing effects with Move Triggers, or else the player will waste a lot of time trying to find a way to beat the level. "Edification" is an example of a level that mixes Move Triggers with a special effect. It looks awesome, doesn't it? Yeah, but gameplay-wise it adds a bit to memorization. For some people it's okay, but some may find this level confusing.
b) Alpha Triggers
Alpha Triggers make objects transparent or even invisible. They are often used for decorational purposes, such as sticking to a current theme or making certain objects invisible/visible at a certain point. Invisible portals are also a common use, but I already said higher what to avoid when putting them. This trigger is useful for decorational purposes, or maybe certain gimmicks, so with a neat use they might reveal some parts of a maze or a "choose way" segment.
Everything is fine, as long as the player has a way to realize how everything works. Also, please, don't use them to make everything invisible. This isn't fun at all, and probably nobody would play it, until you're hardcore like a Krazyman. x)
c) Toggle Triggers, aka. Low Detail Mode
I guess you know the infamous Low Detail Mode in current levels? Yes, and that's usually caused by a Toggle Trigger which disables objects that were added to the specific group. Removing some decoration is usually very helpful for people that have weaker devices and are vulnerable to slowdown and FPS drops. They aren't needed in simple levels, because most devices will run them smoothly, but always put it when it's a very detailed or effect level. If not used, several players may have problems with playing them, because the amount of lag would be a big problem for them. Remember that a lot of players are playing this game on smartphones and they're usually weaker than average PC's, so they won't handle as much detail as a computer. Also be sure it really removes a significant amount of objects, because removing like 100 blocks won't help much, but getting rid of 1000... might actually help some people.
What when still a lot of people say "lag" even if you put a good LDM? The answer is simple: add a Super LDM!
d) Rotate Triggers
The rotate trigger is a new trigger added in Update 2.1. It either allows to rotate them around a certain angle or spin them several times at once in a whole circle. It allows to create rotating obstacles such as "firebars" which you can see in Fingerdash or special interactions with the player. They also can be mixed with move triggers if used properly to add extra variety to the level.
When using the trigger, be sure that you have two groups reserved for your rotated object. The first one is the center block and the rest are the objects that will rotate. They have to be blocks that can be rotated at every angle in the editor, otherwise they won't work properly. Also be sure the triggers don't overlap to avoid glitches.
Back before 2.1, you had to use move triggers with the "Sine In" option to create rotating objects, however it used to waste a lot of objects to make proper spinning blocks. If you have an old level, be sure to replace them with the new triggers - it will save a lot of space!
V. Music sync is important!
When creating a level, use a soundtrack that will fit to your current level, not a random one that you use, because "it's your favourite". A level sounds weird when the music totally doesn't fit the stage's theme. If you're going for a hell theme, an intense or epic song may fit well with it. If it's a slow one, a calm theme will do its work. It's also good to sync your music to your actions and even clicks if it's possible! The latter one isn't completely needed, but it may help a lot. This way, listening to the soundtrack will guide the player through his adventure.
A good way to end the level is when the music fades out at a certain point, or it gets calmer. The "Fade In" and "Fade Out" options may be useful, but use them properly. It might sound odd when the song cuts when it's fast-paced. It's better to wait for it to slow down. If it's too long, try to start from a different offset to match your length of a level, but these things should be made before you start building your level, or else you'll end up screwing up the whole sync.
Certain objects, such as the notes/heart/star/etc. decorations and orbs pulse to the beat. They can be used to create a "beating" feeling. These objects will pulse slowly or really hard depending on the fact if the song is either chill or really heavy or fast-paced.
VI. Time your jumps!
The cube and some other gamemodes jump at certain heights and you have to build the level correctly to avoid falling down or hitting something due to badly designed jumps. Here's how a cube can jump:
- A 2x2 jump which is pretty much the max of it. A small cube will have 1x1.
- A 1x3 jump, which is 1 vertically and 3 horizontally. It's the furthest the cube can jump. A mini-cube will do a 1x2 one.
- A 1x2 drop, which is 1 vertically and 2 horizontally. It's a good amount to drop from the cube. They can also pass through one block gaps in a straight line. Small cubes will need a 1x1 drop.
- A 1x4 jump drop, which is 1 vertically and 4 horizontally. Because the cube goes down a bit, it can fall further, so for every block down you should do also an extra 1 block right/left (depending on the direction it's moving). The same happens with the mini-cube, but with one block less. You can add a block more, but it's a bit more precise.
- A straight jump allows to pass a 3-4 block space.
UFO's jump similarly to cubes with the exception that you can do them in mid-air. The player can either spam-click or tap slowly to go further. The way how it will go depends on how fast you click, so you need to time your jumps. The creator needs to be aware of that, because a badly created UFO segment might be frustrating, because this gamemode is pretty sensitive.
The robot gamemode jumps one block higher than a regular cube, and it falls down a bit slower, so you can challenge the player to leap through greater jumps. However, try to avoid using it in places which can be passed with a regular cube, because the robot needs a bit more timing due to more controlled jumps and slower vertical speed.
VII. Watch out for blind drops!
By blind drops I mean when the icon falls down into a deep hole where you can't predict what's going on. Sometimes there are jump rings or other obstacles that the player has to tap quickly to avoid brutal death. It's not that hard to remember the timing when there are simple orbs, but what when there's a cluster of them and some of them are fake? Yeah, this jump may be a pain. It'd be easier to time them from smaller drops, but when you're jumping into a so called "leap of faith" and you're required to tap a SINGLE orb through several troll rings, I guess most people won't be satisfied with this. That's why you should plan when doing jumps like this. If you really want to do it, at least try to put an "!" mark, but it's up to you.
Another example of an annoying jump is when you fall frop a giant drop next to a double or triple spike which can't be avoided that easily, because already pushing the button will cause the cube to jump into the group of spikes, while waiting a bit will result in a crash. This timing is usually considered bad for players (or at least I think so, but I guess I'm not the only one). It may be really unfair and people will waste a lot of attempts for finding the correct timing.
VIII. Create fair memorization!
Memorization can make a level more difficult, but it can be also a big problem for most of the players. They shouldn't be too confusing and the player should have a way to learn it (either a hint or something else to learn how stuff work). If the memo is simple, the player usually won't need help, but if it's really complex, some arrows or at least a single tip would save their lives. Poorly created memorization parts can easily turn a level from fun to totally annoying. Take some time when making it and imagine how players would beat it. You're the creator, so you know the patterns, but anyone else won't.
Memorization can be made in various ways. They can be fakes (troll rings, non-solid ground, etc.), invisible objects, various paths or triggers that cause a special even to happen when you activate it. Easy levels should have fairly simple and obvious sections, while they can be complicated in tough levels, but they shouldn't be too confusing. Don't make them too ridiculous, like finding an invisible portal out of nowhere to pass the puzzle.
This is also an aspect with which you can get really creative. Take a look at Serponge's levels: he created some levels that require some memorization, but they're used in a completely different way. Most of them are simple, but some of them are harder, still they may be fun to play, because it's actually an interesting way to explore the level. Everything is good, but don't go overboard and stick to the difficulty!
IX. Use variety!
This was a big problem in the very first versions, but currently you have a lot of options to create gameplay. You have several gamemodes, some manipulation portals, triggers, a big variety of blocks, thousands of colors and much more! Be creative as you can!
One gamemode in a level may be boring, because jumping all the time or changing the gravity may look very repetitive. Try to avoid such stuff, but it doesn't mean that you can't do creative stuff with a single gamemode. I remember that I've played a level which used the ball gamemode in an unusual way. There were gravity changes, jumps like a cube and some other stuff. And it wasn't that bad, even if it used only one form. Variety makes your level more interesting! Forms, gravity, speed changes. Be creative as possible!
Remember that it shouldn't bee overly varied, because the level might sometimes be confusing or weird to play. If something doesn't fit your level, don't use it. Don't put an abundance of portals, especially too much at once, because the player might not know what to do, or the fast transitions would confuse him, resulting in death due to overreaction. Several portals in a short amount of time are fine, just don't spam them everywhere.
Also try to mess with certain gamemodes and how they interact with certain objects. The swingcopter was discovered by messing with double balls and gravity changes. Who knows, maybe you'll find a new kind of gamemode? Don't stick with one thing, try to put some more if you think one thing isn't enough.
X. Watch out with orb jumps!
Orbs (or so called jump rings) are objects that are very common in the game and they allow the icon to jump in mid-air. Currently there are six types of jump rings (not counting the custom one): yellow, pink, cyan, green, red and black. Every has their own mechanic and allows to create various type of gameplay. However the way how they will work depends on the timing of the player. Be sure the timing is fair and it isn't too annoying or buggy, otherwise players might have trouble with completing your level. The earlier you hit it, the "higher" it bounces, while the later you do it, the "weaker" the jump is for yellow, pink, green and red orbs. Here are some examples for cube gameplay:
- Yellow jump orbs bounce the icon around the height of a normal jump and they can be used to reach some higher obstacles or to pass some gaps. If you'd jump to a platform at the same height, around 4 blocks of spacing should work. Putting it on the ground will look similar to a normal jump.
- Pink jump orbs bounce half as high as the yellow ones. The jump is weaker than a regular jump and it can be used to perform a smaller jump to another jump ring or to cross a gap for around 2 blocks on the same height. If used inside the ground, it can be used to make small hops which would allow to jump over tiny spikes and not crash into the obstacle next to it.
- Red jump orbs throw the player almost twice as high as a yellow jump ring! It can be used to launch the icon high into the air or to cross big holes. It should be able to cross around 6-block gaps on the same height.
- Cyan (blue) jump rings bounce the icon and reverses its gravity. It can be used as an alternative to the gravity portal or to pass a gap by "mashing" several gravity rings on the top and on the bottom. When placed on the ground, it will simply reverse the gravity of the icon.
- Green jump rings work similar to cyan orbs, but instead of bouncing the icon, it passes through the orb, usually with an arc. The size of the arc depends on the moment where you tap it. It can be used to make more complex orb gameplay, but you have to be careful, because the timing really depends on how far you'll pass and bad usage of them might result with bugs or annoying timings. Don't use them on the ground, as the icon will most likely crash into the ground.
- Black orbs push the icon rapidly into the opposite side which can be used to launch it to the top or the bottom (depending on the gravity) with force. It can also be used as an obstacle for other gamemodes, like for the ship. Don't use them on the ground, because it will most likely end with crashing into the ground.
Remember that every form has different physics and orbs may work a little different for other gamemodes. A ball or spider will most likely get bounced a little lower than a cube, so take care of it when building a level. Watch out when using them for other gamemodes, because they can either pose a challenge or be a big annoyance for the player. A good example is a jump ring during the ship form: it can be a good challenge, however due to the flying ability it's a bit harder to time it properly and when used poorly, it can frustrate a lot of player. Not to mention you have to tap it lightly, or otherwise the ship will get launched high into the air. Be careful when using them with different forms and test them a lot before you release your level!
Oh, and remember: small versions of the forms will bounce lower than the normal ones.
XI. Coin placement
Coins have been since Update 1.6, however they were only available in the official levels. Update 2.0 brought to us User Coins which can be either verified (silver) on not (brown). It's up to RobTop if he does that.
Coins usually are a reward for the player, usually for taking a secret path. They can be either well hidden or not
Also remember to not make them too annoying to get. If a coin requires a very precise jump or a path that's very hard to pass, it may be too much of a hassle for an average player and they might think it's not worth collecting it. Also don't make it too confusing to get them, especially by placing an invisible coin in a random place that nobody can expect to have a hidden coin in it. It would just make pure trial and error.
A good coin for most players is when it gives the player an alternate, but slightly harder path to take which may be more risky, but it gives him/her an extra reward for passing it. It also can be a secret by placing a hidden portal or wall that turns transparent after you find the fake blocks. It allows the player to have clever hidings, but if the secret doesn't look obvious enough, consider adding a small hint to help the player.
For the end, I suggest to take a look at the difficulty of the level. If it's an easy level, make the coins not too hard, but not free, so even a beginner would have to challenge him/herself a little bit. If it's a demon level, they can be hard to get, but don't get overboard or otherwise most people won't try to get them. IMO free coins are only a good option if the level is a demon level, especially a really difficult one. It would be a free reward for someone that was persistent enough to complete a hard demon level.
XII. Tricks and traps
Traps are a part of the gameplay which often appears in difficult (much less common in easy levels) courses. They can be used to trick a player who was unaware and wasn't focusing on the game. While it's okay to put it, never EVER abuse them. When there are too much of them, it will make the level a bad and frustrating memory demon which most players will just avoid. There are better ways to create memory parts.
To make a good trap, keep in mind that the player is unaware of them on his/her first run. Be sure to give him/her a small hint to the correct way, but you don't have to make it totally obvious. For a "choose your path" trick, you can add arrows or fake walls (blocks without outlines) which would lead the player to the correct path. For jump orb/pad traps, you can either point an arrow on the correct one or add an "X" on the orb or close to it to inditcate it's a trap. If they're in smaller amounts, these hints aren't that needed, because it's more obvious which one is correct, but if there's a large amount of them, a mark would help a lot to prevent useless confusion.
Another common trap is a spike jump at the very end of the level. Even though it may be funny for the creator, it can be VERY infuriating for a player if the creator went overboard, especially in a really hard level (but if it's a difficult demon level, a simple triple spike jump is enough). If it's an easy or non-demon level, a little spike, a single or double spike might be okay, because it's easy to avoid. A triple is okay, but it's not a good idea for really easy level unless it's a secret path which grants you an User Coin. An example of a decent drap is Lonely Travel: if you are about to finish the level, you have to jump over a tiny spike at the very end of the level or otherwise you'll crash at 99%. This obstacle is extremely easy to avoid, but it may troll a player which stopped focusing on the game or he/she started celebrating too early. So yeah kids, never celebrate too early!
XIII. An introduction is always helpful!
If you have created a new mechanic that isn't common in the game or doesn't look very obvious, a hint or a small tutorial is always helpful to avoid any unecessary confusion. For example: Serponge usually introduces the player to the mechanics of his Altergame levels. With this you don't have to guess what to do when it's a brand new game. It's not always needed when it's a really simple mechanic, but a hint is always helpful for the player, so if you feel that people might not understand it, a small information in the level will always help them.
If it's a gamemode from the original game, you don't need to introduce it, because that's the point of the official levels - they already introduced us all to the portals and gamemodes. If it's a swingcopter, you can add a hint, but it's not as needed as with brand new mechanics, because the swingcopter trick is already a pretty popular part of the gameplay. If it's an official gamemode, it doesn't require a tutorial unless it's used in an unique way which hasn't been seen in many levels.
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I might add some more in the future. What do you think about this so far? Is it good and at least a bit helpful? I'll try to add some screenshots someday when I'll have some free time.
I hope it helps at least a bit. Any opinions are appreciated.
If there are any mistakes in your opinions, we'll discuss about it and I might fix anything that's wrong.
